That Took A While
by Mikkelback
Summary: A story about Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly trying to find what they really want in each other. Disclaimer - I do not own the Office or any characters. There are some spoilers from the end of season 3 through the rest of the series.
1. Chapter 1

Jim looks over to Pam who glances up at him for a second before Micheal bursts out of his office while shouting.

"Pamela Georgia Beesly! Any messages for me this morning?"

"Not my middle name and here." She hands him a message from Corporate requesting he call them as soon as possible. He returns to his office after making a racist comment and offensive joke directed toward Oscar. Jim offers a disappointed look towards the camera and resumes the notes on his desk. The phone on Dwight's desk rings and Dwight picks it up without taking his attention off of his computer. Jim decides he needs to prank Dwight to get his mind off Pam for a while. After all, he's with Karen and he's perfectly happy.

Jim walks up to Pam's desk and asks for a sheet of paper to be "faxed" back to the office. She doesn't exactly know what the scheme is but, knowing Jim, she does it without question. After she faxes—or rather hand delivers— the fax to Dwight, he immediately shoots a look at Jim who is walking to get a snack from the break room. He darts back to the paper that reads:

 _Dwight K. Schrute, Scranton Police Department requests to make you, Dwight K. Schrute, head of the department. We need you to quit your current job and head up to the roof to be picked up in the helicopter. Discard this message once you have decided. Good Day, SPD._

Dwight looks around and then writes something on a pad of paper and stashes it in the bottom drawer of his desk. The fax is crumpled and thrown in the recycling.

Back in the break room, Jim and Pam share snickering laughs and knowing stares sitting across from each other. As Pam tries to hide her laugh, Jim looks at her with his big, loving eyes. They both stop laughing and just stare at each other for a while. Jim Halpert, a fun guy who is with a great girl, has no reason to be in a break room with the receptionist, laughing at their co-worker for a prank they pulled, yet here he is. Realizing his current state, he stands up and heads back to his desk while Pam is left still sitting at the table, slightly confused.

...

As Jim makes his way to the door with Karen, he doesn't even look in the direction of Pam's desk while he says goodnight to everyone. He heads out the door, regretting his decision to reject Pam and stay with Karen, but he couldn't just leave her. He wasn't going to be that guy. And he knows Pam wasn't going to be the other woman.


	2. Chapter 2

Jim walks into the office and the room lights up. Kevin comments on Jim's new appearance while Andy yells out "Big Haircut". Pam looks pleasantly surprised to see Jim looking so professional. Who knew he cleaned up so well.

Karen and Jim walk up to Micheal in the kitchen.

"Hey, Micheal. Can we get a few extra hours off? We wanted to spend the night in the city."

"Why? So you can do it?" Micheal responds in his usual, socially awkward manner, smiling at the camera. Jim and Karen, both clearly uncomfortable, look at each other and then back to Micheal, shaking their heads no. Micheal suggests they make it a road trip but Jim and Karen would rather not.

…

Sitting in the waiting room at Corporate, Micheal, Jim, and Karen discuss different topics. Micheal claims he knows everyone's names and Jim tests his likely theory that Micheal is bluffing. After Micheal is called in, Karen is next. Karen and Jim talk about where to go to lunch and Jim tells her he doesn't mind if she leaves.

"Really? Cause a few friends wanted to meet up and that would be great!" She replies with a smile. He nods and she kisses his cheek and stands up to leave. She walks away as the camera pans back to Jim.

Jim's interview is going great until he realized the note Pam left for him. With a gold medal stuck to the front, it read "Don't forget us here at Scranton". Jim gives an awkward smile and looks up to realize Wallace is still questioning him, but all he can think of is this medal. This medal represents all of the days Jim spent pranking Dwight and flirting with the receptionist. All of the times that Micheal made an inappropriate remark which made everyone feel uncomfortable. All of the days spent goofing around in those stupid meetings in the conference room. He can't leave that behind. He looks back up at David and answers his question, but his mind was still back in Scranton.

 **Hey Guys! I'm sorry that these have been shorter chapters and I will work on that for sure. I would love some reviews on my writing style and will take constructive criticism. Anyway, a little more romance will be coming in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Pam sits down to talk to the camera crew and they start asking her questions.

"Yeah, I'm happy for Jim. He deserves this promotion so much. And I know he'll get it."

"…And if he never comes back again, that's okay. We're friends and I'm sure we'll stay friends. We just never got the timing right, ya know? I shot him down then he did the same to me… but you know what? It's okay; I'm totally fine. Everything is going to be totally—" Pam is interrupted as Jim bursts in.

"Pam! Sorry." He gestures to the camera crew. "Um… are you free for dinner tonight?"

"Yes."

"Then… it's a date." Jim smiles as he closes the door and Pam looks back at the camera. She can't help but grin to herself and stutter to finish answering the questioning before Jim let himself in.

"I'm sorry, what was the question?" Pam says, a smile written on her face, tears of joy in her eyes.

…

Jim walks Pam up to her doorstep and they stop to look at each other.

"I had a really great time tonight. It's been a long time coming, I guess." Jim couldn't have said it better himself. He chuckles and looks back at her, admiring her beauty that he had only admired from the friend point of view before now. All he could ever want was standing right in front of him and all he could do was chuckle.

"You're so beautiful," he managed to get out in between laughs.

"Why are you laughing? I really don't see how this is a laughing matter," she explained, stern-voiced.

He snickered and shook his head. "No. It's not. You're right, I'm sorry. I just can't believe this is actually happening. We have just gone through trials and tribulation to get here and I guess it's all I've ever wanted." His sweet monologue has left a smile on both of their faces and their lips just inches apart. Jim leans in but, to Pam's surprise, stops about half an inch away. She just about closes the space when Jim speaks up again. "So is the "Hitch" gag working? I go ninety while the woman goes ten?" Pam rolls her eyes and shuts him up with a kiss. They had kissed once before on the night he told her that he was in love and she had kissed back, but this was different.

"You don't know how long I've waited to do that," Pam says jokingly, recalling the first real kiss that they had back in the office after hours. They both grin as she invites him inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

For as long as Jim worked at Scranton, all he wanted to do was kiss Pam. Looking at her behind the desk, he didn't care that she was shy or was a receptionist because he loved her for years while she was in love with another guy. He was disgusted by the thought of them together physically. I mean, who wouldn't be disgusted by the thought of your girlfriend with another guy? Could he call her that? _Girlfriend_? Most people had quite a few dates before they called each other by any name or put a label on the relationship be he decided that it wasn't going to be like that with Pam. He might not say it out loud right now but he wasn't going to deny it if it came up either.

"So, can I ask what the note to Dwight said?" Pam asks, sitting down on the couch as he stood in the large doorway of her living room. She pats the seat next to her and he obeyed.

"It was a note from the Scranton Police Department asking him to give up his job to join them. Although he might consider it, he'll never do it. He's committed to the paper business."

"Too committed," Pam responds with a smirk. He sits and takes off his jacket to reveal a sweater. Of course. She sat with her back against the arm of the chair to face him even though he was facing forward for the most part. She looks him up and down quite obviously while he took notice. Blushing a bit, they both continue to talk about their coworkers and friends (friends as a loose term). Pam stands up and grabs two wine glasses and a cheap bottle of wine for the both of them. When she returns, she removes her sweater revealing a fairly see-through tank top and Jim's eyes widen as a tightness in his groin starts to form. Although a bit more laid back than before, he stiffens to accommodate the uncomfortable position his pants are putting him in. Noticing the excessive squirming, Pam asks if he's alright to which he responds with a simple nod. Pam pours two glasses of wine and hands one to him.

To relieve some tension that has built up between them in the last few minutes, Jim makes a joke. "Trying to get me drunk, Beesly?"

"Well, obviously," Pam plays along.

He downs his first glass and stares at it. "Might just work this time." He returns his glance to her and can already feel the wine make his head spin a little. How cheap was this wine? He notices her glance every once in a while to his still fairly tight lower region. Damn… she's noticed. She pours him another glasses almost too willingly. Was she getting turned on by seeing him turned on? And why is he so nervous? She hands it to him with a smirk and inches closer. Placing a hand on his knee while laughing at a witty remark is all it takes for Jim to finally spring into action. He leans in and presses a soft, tender, curious kiss on her lips and she fully accepts. They start to lean back on the couch when Pam jumps up and practically pushes Jim off the couch. She runs to the bathroom and returns a few minutes later to tell Jim that he should go. "Wait, why? Is something wrong?"

Pam shakes her head and just whispers "I'm early." And with that, Jim leaves, clearly disappointed, and Pam took ibuprofen before heading to bed, also a little disappointed.


End file.
